How to measure for wallpaper?

astonsmummy

Hi
I have a front room which is 22ftx12ft, the walls are 91" high and i have 2 patio doors @ 90" width each and 2 normal doors @ 34" width each, how many rolls of paper would i need?

astonsmummy

Al_Mac wrote:

Somebody else's turn. I did the border Plus I have no idea

lol! I got the borders yesterday, they are lovely, think i'm gonna have to put them up myself tho

orainsear

I've had a quick look in my Collins DIY manual and the table there suggests you will need 11 rolls - this includes theoretically 'covering' the windows and doors so it includes the surplass for mistakes etc - you always should get more than you need (just take back any unused rolls for a refund) and make sure it's all got the same batch number on.

Also found this but not tried it - Wallpaper Calculator

**purplemoon**

It depends how big the pattern, if any, you've got on the paper as the bigger the pattern, the more you waste when matching it up. My dad taught me a rough guide to work it out that if you paper a room with normal height ceilings (7-8ft) and you're doing full length strips (no dado, picture rail etc) then you will get 4 drops per roll of paper with no, or very small pattern (6" repeat or less) and 3 drops per roll for bigger patterns. A roll is approx 21" wide so you could roughly work it out from that, and as somone else said buy an extra roll just in case as you can always return it if not opened.

Mikeyorks

You can't calculate it .. until you know the paper you're going to use and specifically the pattern drop. As post #5, the bigger the pattern the more likely you are to get less 'drops' out of each roll. But that logic doesn't always apply! However - sounds complex - but it's really quite easy to get it more or less spot on:rolleyes: Honest.

The wallpaper will be just over 21" wide (that's the 'drop') and 33 feet (say 396") long. So you will get 4 drops (4 x 91" = 364") out of each roll. But that assumes no 'pattern match'. If the pattern match is e.g 24". Then your 91" wall will need 4 of those pattern blocks in each drop = 4 x 24" = 96". So you still (4 x 96" = 384") get 4 drops out of a roll. BUT - if your pattern match is 18". Then you need 6 x 18" pattern blocks (108") to cover your 91" drop - and you then only get 3 drops (3 x 108" = 324") from a roll. If you think of the wallpaper as simply a consecutive series of the same pattern (whatever size) it starts to fall into place?

Decide where you're going to start with the first 'drop'. Forget about 'working from the light' etc - and work out how it best fits - in order to avoid an 1/2" strip down the side of a door, or in a corner. When you start to measure it out - you may decide it may have been better to start elsewhere! In which case - just do it. All of this is only going to take 10 - 15 mins. Far less time than we spend on here !!

Then measure 21" from that starting point. And work your way round the room measuring consecutive 21" drops from that point. When you get to a door, or other wallpapering impediment - you count any full (ie 91") drop - even if it's only say 6" wide up to where it hits the door / window. And you then measure the 21" drops across the top of the door window - but ignore any that are not full length drops. OK ? So - typically you will have a counted 'drop' going into the door, one you don't count which is wholly above the door - then a drop you count, as the piece part hits above the door but some of it is a full 91" required.

Work your way round the room (literally 10 mins) and count the number of drops(A). Then work out how many drops you will get out of each of your chosen paper(B). Divide B into A - add 1 if there's a remainder - and that's your number of rolls. Except - then just look at the part drops (above doors etc) you didn't count, and check if the wastage you have on each roll after your 3 or 4 drops are cut out - or the rounding up to the nearest roll if there was a remainder left ... leaves you enough to cover these? If not - you'll have to add one roll. Told you it was easy;)


From the figures you've posted. I estimate you have 28 drops. I've rounded that to 30 as I don't know where your doors fall. That means you need 8 rolls (4 drops per roll) or 10 rolls (3 drops / roll).

But do it with a tape / pencil in 21" stages - and you'll find it takes very little time and is very accurate. The OH once spent £50 a roll on some bedroom paper! I measured it very carefully! And only had 18" left once I'd finished an impeccably pattern matched room. So the method above doesn't build in 'error' wastage - as I couldn't afford it.